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When should you DNF?

When Should you DNF a cache? I thought the answer would be anytime you look for a cache and don't find it. But I was out and about Lewiston this weekend 23 caches and 10 DNFs. As I read the logs on one cache the note says "I still don't want to make an official DNF until I am sure the cache is still here".

I am still a 'newbie' so someone else may have a different opinion. But I log a DNF if I looked for it and didn't find it. I figure if I didn't find it and enough people log a DNF then the owner will go check on it. Maybe it's not there and if no one logs a DNF then the owner will never know.

I haven't logged a DNF when I arrived and the GPS batteries died and I didn't get a chance to look really well. Or if I didn't get a good chance to look and was going to come back the next day. Then when I didn't find it, I logged the DNF or if I did find it, I usually mention that I looked the previous day and was unsuccessful but finally found it.

I think some cachers may think that a DNF is a bad thing so they don't want to log it. Maybe they feel it makes them look bad?? Not sure.

Personally I think you should log your DNF if you stopped looking and walked away. The best thing about a DNF is that it lets the cache owner know there may be a potential problem.

Now with that said, there are some very tough finds out there. You have to work a bit for them. DNF's are a very real part of the game. I don't know anybody who has found all of the ones they have looked for. Part of the challenge then becomes going back and resolving the DNF.

Also, on most DNF's on my caches I will write and ask if they want an extra hint. Most cache owners will gladly help out. Why? Because caches are meant to be found!

The bottom line is that the choice is yours.

I'd really rather not cache, but I am helpless in the grip of my compulsion!

Always remember, if you don't think your visit quite qualifies as a DNF, you can always log a note. If you get near the site and your batteries die and don't bother looking, or if you get to the parking and you realize it's after hours or it's too far to walk late in the day, or for other reasons like that it's always good to leave a note at minimal for two reasons. Firstly it tells the cache owner people still have an interest in finding the cache, and secondly it gives you a record of when you were there and didn't look.

I personally won't log a DNF unless I've given two visits of at least 15-30 minutes of detailed searching. I just completed the Creepy Crawler multi cache and i looked for stage 2 three times before logging a DNF to make sure it wasn't there. It was missing and the DNF got the stage replaced by the end of that week.

I basically don't want the cache owner to have to check on their cache because I gave up too easily. Some of you who have been at this for quite some time have a lot of hides. If newbies like myself give up to easily, that takes time away from an owner who could be placing more hides or caching themselves. Cache container options are unlimited. Take the extra time if you need to so the owner doesn't have to make unneccessary trips.

There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and ‘mental illness'. ---Dave Barry

We always check past logs before we look for a cache. If the last log was a DNF, we ignore the entry and look anyway. If the last 3 logs were DNF's, we would probably skip that cache.

If you looked and didn't find the cache, log it as a DNF. But keep the cache on your watch list. If the next cacher finds it, you'll know it's still there.

I do log my DNF's when I get frustrated and walk off. I went to try Patty's Mt. Battie this summer and DNF'd As did the next 4 people and it was discovered that the cache was missing. It's valuable information. This week I found two DNF's from last year, DNF'd a multi in Fairfield and went back to find it a few days later with some encouragement from Haffy. I tend to keep my DNF's in the back of my head for further conquests later

i will log a DNF after looking for awhile. if im lucky, i will call a phone a friend when available. having my pda with me with logs downloaded from gsak, it helps to know if it had DNFs in it. that way, if im not finding, i check the may check the pda for something i may have overlooked and the logged DNFs really help, espescially if its been 3 or 4 in a row. if the cache is somewhere i can go back to at some point in the future, i will email the placer for a hint when possible.

If I feel that I did a thorough search of the area that the cords say that it should be, and a few yards out from that, and do not find the cache, then I will log a DNF. Yes I have DNFed a cache that was in place and I just didn't find it for whatever reason. I figure that most cache owners want to know if there is a problem with their caches as soon as possible. I know that I do. It also helps to know if your cache is getting a mix of Finds and DNF. That means its well hidden, or your cords are off. The more information the better.

DNF's

What's the consensus when you don't find what's listed as an active cache, the owner checks it the next day, says it's missing and tells you to log a find because you looked in the correct place for a cache gone missing?